Can the Oculus Rift 2 reclaim the VR throne?

Oculus Rift has changed how we think about and use virtual reality. By making VR more accessible and relatively affordable, Oculus Rift has brought virtual worlds to the masses.

As transformative as Oculus Rift has been, it's also been overshadowed by the HTC Vive, which we've deemed the best VR headset you can buy. This is due in large part to the Vive's superior room-scale tracking.

Turns out, being first meant Oculus Rift shipped in a state that wasn’t quite ready. It has, however, come a long way in bridging the gap to its potential, including introducing intuitive Touch controllers, additional Oculus Sensors, and a lower price. What's more, the tide in usage seems to be turning in Oculus Rift's favor, at least according to the most recent Steam hardware survey.

But when will we see the Oculus Rift 2? That's a loaded question. It's possible we've already seen Oculus Rift 2 in the form of the tetherless Project Santa Cruz. On the other hand, Oculus Rift 2 could end up being a proper evolution of Oculus Rift, PC-cable and all.

Here you'll find all the rumors currently doing the rounds about a potential Oculus Rift successor, as well as all that we're hoping the Oculus Rift 2 will be.

Cut to the chase

Release date

With no official announcement about the release of Oculus Rift 2 yet, it's unclear when we're going to see the follow-up to Facebook's VR headset (Facebook owns Oculus).

As we’re on the first generation for VR headsets, there's still speculation about which update model Oculus, and the industry in general, will follow – it could be something like the phone model, with yearly updates, or something closer to the console model, with updates every six years or so.

What we do know is that Facebook plans to release one new headset in 2018, along with shipping out developer kits of Project Santa Cruz this year.

Facebook's standalone Oculus Go headset is set to launch in "early 2018," which, you must admit, is starting to run out. Oculus Go works without a PC or a smartphone, joining the recent wave of all-in-one VR headsets. We wouldn't classify Oculus Go as the Oculus Rift 2 considering the marked differences (not to mention name) between the two devices.

Project Santa Cruz wireless VR headset - is this Oculus Rift 2?

Project Santa Cruz, meanwhile, is supposed to be arriving on developer doorsteps in early 2018, which likely pushes a consumer release date to no earlier than the end of the year. Our bet is that we'll hear more about the Oculus Go and Project Santa Cruz release dates at Facebook's F8 developer conference in early May.

It's important to note that HTC recently announced the HTC Vive Pro headset, the upgraded next generation of the HTC Vive. With improved resolution and comfort (and built-in headphones!), it's set to offer an even better VR experience than Vive. Due out this year, the HTC Vive Pro puts pressure on Oculus to launch its own upgraded headset before long.

Price

Just like everything else about the headset, the Oculus Rift 2 price is an unknown. Our best guess is that it won't be too much more expensive than the Oculus Rift, though chances are you will pay more for it than the original Rift.

The Oculus Rift with Touch controllers costs $399/£399 (around AU$640). The standalone Oculus Go is set to cost $199 (about £150 / AU$255). Project Santa Cruz's price is currently unknown, but chances are it will be more expensive than the current Oculus Rift.

Oculus Go standalone headset

Where that leaves Oculus Rift 2 is a mystery, should the headset be a different device than Project Santa Cruz. Like we said, it probably won't be that much more expensive than the first Oculus Rift, but it will cost more.

As for its competitors, it's also unknown how much the HTC Vive Pro will cost. It's price could also be a factor in the Oculus Rift 2's pricing.

For Oculus Rift 2 rumors and what we want to see, head to the next page!